Body Image- Self Esteem- Eating Disorders

Mental Health Week

2010

13/04/23 2

Body Image

Our bodies are all different and individual

Body image is the picture that a person forms of their body in their mind based on feelings and judgements and sometimes it is different than what we see in the mirror.

Self-esteem is how much a person values or accepts themselves for who and what they are.

13/04/23 3

Everyday we are surrounded by photos of models in magazines, television and internet

13/04/23 4

What is real?

Often people ‘airbrush’ or photoshop faces and bodies and spend hours with a makeup artist and hairdresser

Girls are often encouraged to lose weight

Boys are often encouraged to bulk up

13/04/23 5

13/04/23 6

13/04/23 7

13/04/23 8

13/04/23 9

13/04/23 10

13/04/23 11Dove Beauty Campaign

13/04/23 12

Body Image Stats•Body dissatisfaction is increasing and occurring at younger ages. Attitudes towards thinness and ideal body size are formed as early as age 3. By school age, girls fear looking fat more than losing their parents, getting cancer or a nuclear war (Cramer & Steinwert, 2008).

•An Australian study found that 74% of women aged 18-22 wanted to weigh less and that only 25% of women in the “healthy weight range” were happy with their weight (Paxton, 2008)

13/04/23 13

Body Image and Guys

•Male body image dissatisfaction has tripled in the last 25 years.

•10% of individuals diagnosed with anorexia are male.

13/04/23 14

Influences on Body Image

Culture (Music, Fashion) Media (TV, internet, magazines) Diet businesses (Sure Slim, Weight

Watchers, Lite and Easy) Peers, friendships, family and

relationships. Events and activities (PE, swimming

sports etc)

13/04/23 15

Body Image

Think of 3 things you don’t like about your body.

Think of 3 things you do like about your body.

What was hardest to do?

13/04/23 16

13/04/23 17

Diets

A restriction in the amount or type of food in order to alter body shape or size.

On any given day, about 60% of Australian women are on some sort of diet (Paxton, 2008).

1 in 4 seven to 10 year olds have dieted to lose weight (Gray, 2008).

13/04/23 18

Diets

A study involving Victorian students age 12 to 17 yrs classified over 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 10 boys as “extreme dieters” making them at risk of an eating disorder (Patton et

al, 2008).

13/04/23 19

Why Diets Don’t Work

Diets have been linked to a range of health difficulties which include bad breath, fatigue, over-eating, headaches, muscle cramps, constipation, sleep disturbance and loss of bone density.

Deprivation can result in depression, anxiety, feelings of guilt and emotional instability. Adolescent girl extreme dieters are 18% more likely to develop an eating disorder.

95% of people who go on weight loss diets regain everything they have lost plus more within two years.

13/04/23 20

What is An Eating Disorder?

The two most common disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Both are preoccupied with control over their body weight

People with anorexia control the amounts of food they eat

People with bulimia tend to feel out of control where food is concerned

13/04/23 21

Eating Disorder Stats Eating disorders affect approximately

2-3% of the general population.

Anorexia is the the 3rd most common disease in Australian females aged 15-24 yrs.

Eating disorders most typically commence in adolescence and early adulthood.

13/04/23 22

Eating Disorder Stats

Eating disorders are occurring at younger ages including diagnosis of anorexia at age 6. 3% of reported cases are in pre-pubescent children.

It is estimated that only about 10% of cases of bulimia in the Australian community are detected (Sulivan, 1995).

13/04/23 23

Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia nervosa A loss of at least 15% of body weight due to

dieting Intense fear of becoming “fat” Body image issue i.e. feeling “fat” despite

being underweight Can spend lots of time preparing food for

others A tendency to exercise obsessively Make lists of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods

13/04/23 24

Types of Eating Disorders

Bulimia Nervosa Eating binges of large amounts of food,

often secretly Binge then try to avoid weight gain by

making themselves vomit, taking laxatives or diet pills, excessive exercise or strict dieting

Sense of loss of control and /or shame

13/04/23 25

Copycat behavior

At times students imitate the behaviour of their friend

Students way of: Dealing with their own fear Trying to related to their friend Trying to understand the illness Feeling special or unusual

13/04/23 26

Interesting??

Researches investigated the impact of introducing western television into the area of Nadroga in Fiji. Three years after the introduction of TV the rate of self-induced vomiting for weight control had risen from 0 to 11.3% (Becker, 1995).

13/04/23 27

What can cause Eating Disorders?

There is no single cause

Eating disorders are complex conditions caused by a combination of factors

Girls are more likely to be affected

An eating disorder can be triggered by Life crisis – family loss, friendship loss, moving to a new

home, school or job or personal disappointment Weight loss due to dieting Stress without good coping skills

13/04/23 28

Signs of an Eating Disorder - Physical

Significant and rapid weight loss or fluctuations.

Loss or thinning hair. Skin and nail

problems. Abdominal Problems. Fatigue. Dental Problems (due

to vomiting). Sensitivity to cold.

Stress Fractures. Loss of periods. Growth of fine body

hair. Insomnia. Low blood pressure. Arrhythmia and or

Brachycardia. Poor immunity. Sexual dysfunction.

13/04/23 29

Signs of an Eating Disorder – Behavioural

Very restricted diet (amounts and types).

Avoids situations involving eating or sharing meals eg takes meals to room.

Social isolation to protect restrictive behaviours.

Frequent weighing. Compulsively counting

calories and fat. Binge/purge type

activity.

Obsessive pre-occupation with foods that may have not been present before eg wanting to cook for others.

Excessive Exercise Frequent verbalisations

regarding feeling fat and low body esteem.

Over use of diet pills and products, supplements and laxatives.

13/04/23 30

Where to get help?

If you are concerned about yourself or someone else it is important to seek help

People that you can talk to- your family, a teacher, GP/Doctor

All information for this presentation is from www.betterhealthchannel.vic.gov.au or www.eatingdisorders.org.au